Hat embroidery accessory

ABSTRACT

An apparatus for use in preparing a hat (such as a baseball cap) for embroidery on the front of the hat, including a form for holding the hat, and a tensioning means for pushing on the inside of the back of the hat and so placing in tension the front of the hat.

CROSS REFERENCE To RELATED APPLICATION

Reference is made to and priority claimed from U.S. provisional application Ser. No. 60/691,966, filed 16 Jun. 2005.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention pertains to the field of machines for embroidering articles of clothing. More particularly, the present invention pertains to an accessory for a machine used to embroider the front of a hat.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In embroidering the front of a hat (e.g. a baseball cap, i.e. a hat having a bill, i.e. a partial brim with the partial brim protruding out from the front of the hat) using embroidering machinery, the material on the front of the hat must be held taut. To arrange for this, the hat is placed on a form (specially adapted for use with the embroidering machinery), and the hat is manually pulled tight on the form so that the area to be embroidered is held in tension. Then the hat is manually clamped onto the form. Clamping the hat onto the form while keeping taut the area to be embroidered is difficult to do. A typical strategy employed by a person trying to do this alone is for the person to hold the hat in place with their knees, while adjusting the clamp of the form with their hands.

It would be advantageous to have an apparatus for pulling a hat taught on such a form, and then clamping the hat to the form while keeping the area to be embroidered suitably taut.

DISCLOSURE OF INVENTION

Accordingly, in a first aspect of the invention, an apparatus is provided, comprising: a stand, having a form mount for receiving a form; the form, for holding the body of a hat, the form including a cylindrical member; a tensioning member, in adjustable spaced apart relation to the cylindrical member; and a tensioning means, for adjusting the separation of the tensioning member and the cylindrical member so as to allow pushing the back of the hat away from the front of the body of the hat and so placing in tension the front of the body of the hat.

In accord with the first aspect of the invention, the tensioning means may comprise a lever arm member pivotably attached to the stand via a tension control arm. Further, the tensioning member may be a back stop member slideably attached to the cylindrical form and so a part of the form, and the tensioning means may further comprise a lever arm finger protruding from the lever arm, for pushing down on the back stop member in response to downward pivoting of the lever arm. Alternatively, the tensioning member may be a lever arm extender attached to the lever arm.

In a second aspect of the invention, a method is provided, comprising: placing a hat on an accessory including a form having a cylindrical form member and including a tensioning member having an adjustable spaced apart relation to the cylindrical form member, with a back portion of the inside of the hat facing the tensioning member and a front portion of the inside of the body of the hat facing the cylindrical form member; and adjusting the position of the tensioning member so as to place the body of the hat in tension.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the subsequent detailed description presented in connection with accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1-6 are perspective drawings of an accessory according to a first embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart indicating steps in using the invention.

FIGS. 8A-C are perspective drawings of an accessory according to a second aspect of the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Referring now to FIG. 1 and also to FIGS. 2-6 and 8, the invention provides an accessory for use in embroidering on the front of a baseball-cap style hat, and so having a bill (partial brim, i.e. not extending through 360°) protruding from the front of the body of the hat. The accessory holds the hat for embroidering. The accessory includes a form and a form mount (FIG. 4) removably attached to a stand that also has attached tensioning means for placing in tension the front of the body of the hat where there is to be embroidery. In a first embodiment—the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 1-6, the form includes a cylindrical form member and other components described below. Further, the tensioning means is in part attached to the form. In a second embodiment—the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 8, the tensioning means is separate from and not attached to the form (or the form mount).

The First Embodiment

In the first embodiment, the form includes a cylindrical form member, a clamp attached to the cylindrical form member for holding the bill of the hat, an outer wrap of the cylindrical form member (see especially FIGS. 2, 5 and 6), a (more or less) Z-shaped back stop slideably attached to the cylindrical form member so as to be able to be moved toward or away from the cylindrical form member, and an optional L-spacer with a rounded corner for making contact with the inside of the back of hat (to keep from making a mark of indention on the inside of the hat when the body of the hat is placed in tension). The outer wrap fits over the cylindrical form member, and includes a bill portal. A hat is placed in the outer wrap when the outer wrap is free of the cylindrical form member; the hat is placed so that the front of the body of the hat is inside the outer wrap, with the bill of the hat extending through the bill portal in the outer wrap. Thus, the back of the body of the hat is outside the outer wrap, and so can be pushed or pulled away from the front of the body of the hat.

The form also includes a tension lock (see especially FIG. 2), for holding the back stop at a desired separation from the cylindrical form member. The tension lock can be any device by which to prevent the back stop from slipping forward toward the cylindrical form member after it is pushed away from the cylindrical form member as described below. The back stop slides over a back stop interface (FIGS. 2 and 4), i.e. a plate extending from the cylindrical form member, as it moves toward or away from the cylindrical form member. The tension lock can be e.g. a bolt that screws into a hole in the back stop interface. Alternatively, it can be a lever that in one position pushes the back stop against the back stop interface, but in another position allows the back stop to slide freely over the back stop interface.

The form mount is a cylindrical piece, slightly smaller in outer diameter than the inner diameter of the cylindrical form member, so that that cylindrical form member can be placed over the form mount (as shown e.g. in FIG. 1).

The tensioning means (attached to the stand) includes a lever arm, pivotably attached to the stand by a lever arm pivot at one end, and having a lever arm finger (FIG. 2) suitable for pushing the back stop down and away from the cylindrical form member, and so, if a hat is on the form (FIG. 5), place in tension the body of the hat, and in particular the front of the body of the hat. The tensioning means also includes a tension control arm (FIG. 1) pivotably attached at one end to the lever arm (at e.g. a more or less middle point on the lever arm), and at the other end to a tension control pedal. When an operator presses down on the pedal, the tension control arm pulls down on the lever arm, and the lever arm finger in consequence pushes down on the back stop, forcing it away from the cylindrical form member. The operator can then hold the back stop in position using the tension lock. A reset spring attached at one end to the stand and at the other end to the lever arm pulls the lever arm back in the upward direction (when the tension lock is in the unlocked position), in opposition to any downward force exerted by the operator via the tension control pedal.

Second Embodiment

In the second embodiment of the invention, there is no back stop as in the first embodiment, and instead the lever arm has an extender making the lever arm reach to the same point (more or less) as the back stop of the first embodiment.

Thus, and now referring to FIGS. 8A-C, in the second embodiment, the tensioning means in an accessory according to the invention again includes a lever arm, pivotably attached to a stand by a lever arm pivot at one end, and having a lever arm extender (instead of a lever arm finger, and so on, as in the first embodiment) suitable for pushing the back of a hat on the form away from the cylindrical form member, and so placing in tension the body of the hat, and in particular the front of the body of the hat. The lever arm extender is, in the embodiment shown in FIGS. 8A-C, inserted into the end of the lever arm and held by a pin. (Of course the extender could instead be made integral with the lever arm.) The tensioning means is otherwise generally the same as in the first embodiment.

Thus, whereas in the first embodiment there is a back stop slideably attached to the form (and also a tension lock for holing the back stop in a desired position), in the second embodiment, there is no back stop (or tension lock), and instead the lever arm of the tensioning means acts directly on the cap to be placed in tension. The back stop of the first embodiment and the lever arm extender of the second embodiment both function as a tensioning member.

How to Use the Accessory

Referring now also to FIG. 7, to use the accessory an operator in a first step 71 places a hat on the form. In case of a baseball-cap style hat, this entails placing the cylindrical form member on the form mount with the tension lock in the unlocked position, then placing the hat on the outer wrap with the bill of the hat extending from the bill portal of the outer wrap, then placing the outer wrap (with the hat) on the cylindrical form member (on the form mount) and clamping the bill of the hat to the form (attached to the cylindrical form member). In a next step 72, the operator adjusts the position of the tensioning means (the back stop in the first embodiment, but the lever arm extender in the second embodiment) so as to place the body of the hat in tension. To do so, the operator depresses the pedal to obtain a desired tension on the front of the body of the hat (suitable for embroidering on the front of the body of the hat, as indicated by the front having been pulled taut and so having little or no crumpling or folds). The tension is created by the pedal pulling on the tension control arm, which pulls down on the lever arm and so also the lever arm finger in the first embodiment, or the lever arm extender in the second embodiment.

In the case of the first embodiment, the lever arm finger then pushes down on the lower leg of the back stop, moving it away from the cylindrical form member. The back stop in turn pushes on the inside of the back of the body of the hat (which is outside the outer wrap of the form). The force on the inside of the back of the hat translates to tension on the front of the body of the hat. The operator can then lock the back stop in position so as to hold the body of the hat in tension.

In the case of the second embodiment, in response to the operator pushing down on the tension control pedal, the lever arm extender pushes downward on the inside of the back of the body of the hat, moving it away from the cylindrical form member. The force on the inside of the back of the hat again translates to tension on the front of the body of the hat. The outer cylindrical wrap is then closed and latched, holding the front of the body of the hat under tension. (In the first embodiment, the hat can be held in tension using the outer cylindrical wrap too, but also just by using the tension lock.)

Finally, the operator removes the hat and form from the form mount (FIG. 6), and positions it in a holder of an embroidery machine (not shown).

General Remarks

The invention, though described above as being of use in preparing a baseball-cap style hat for embroidery and having an outer wrap, can obviously be used for other kinds of hats, by modifying (if necessary) or eliminating some components, usually the outer wrap. For example, for hats with a full brim instead of a bill (partial, forward-protruding brim), the form would not include a bill portal, but could instead include a roughened (e.g. a sandpaper finish) or high friction (e.g. soft rubber) portion on the cylindrical form member where the inside of the front of the body of the hat would rest, thus offering resistance to the hat sliding off the form when the body of the hat is placed in tension.

It is to be understood that the above-described arrangements are only illustrative of the application of the principles of the present invention. Numerous modifications and alternative arrangements may be devised by those skilled in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention, and the appended claims are intended to cover such modifications and arrangements. 

1. An apparatus, comprising: a stand, having a form mount for receiving a form; the form, for holding the body of a hat, the form including a cylindrical member; a tensioning member, in adjustable spaced apart relation to the cylindrical member; and a tensioning means, for adjusting the separation of the tensioning member and the cylindrical member so as to allow pushing the back of the hat away from the front of the body of the hat and so placing in tension the front of the body of the hat.
 2. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein the tensioning means comprises a lever arm member pivotably attached to the stand via a tension control arm.
 3. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the tensioning member is a back stop member slideably attached to the cylindrical form and so a part of the form, and the tensioning means further comprises a lever arm finger protruding from the lever arm, for pushing down on the back stop member in response to downward pivoting of the lever arm.
 4. An apparatus as in claim 3, wherein the form also includes a tension lock for holding the back stop in a desired position relative to the cylindrical member.
 5. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the tensioning member is a lever arm extender attached to the lever arm.
 6. An apparatus as in claim 2, wherein the tensioning means further comprises a tension control arm pivotably attached to the lever arm and also attached to a pedal by which an operator can exert a force on the tension control arm and consequently cause the lever arm member to pivot.
 7. An apparatus as in claim 1, wherein in case of the hat having a bill protruding from the front of the body of the hat, the form also includes a bill clamp attached to the cylindrical form member and a outer wrap removable from the cylindrical form member, the outer wrap for placement on the cylindrical form member with the hat placed so that the front of the body of the hat is inside the outer wrap and the back of the body of the hat is outside the outer wrap, and having a bill portal suitable for allowing the bill of the hat to pass through the outer wrap and protrude toward the bill clamp.
 8. A method, comprising: placing a hat on an accessory including a form having a cylindrical form member and including a tensioning member having an adjustable spaced apart relation to the cylindrical form member, with a back portion of the inside of the hat facing the tensioning member and a front portion of the inside of the body of the hat facing the cylindrical form member; and adjusting the position of the tensioning member so as to place the body of the hat in tension. 